Personal branding for consultants: what is it, and why should you care?

Many consultants are lost when it comes to building a brand.

They think “branding” is all about their logo or their website.

Now, your logo and website are a part of your brand.

But your logo and website are only one piece of a much larger puzzle.

Your brand is much more than your visual identity.

It’s what people think of you when you’re not around.

And the magic thing about personal branding is that you can affect how others think about you and your consulting business.

By the end of this article, you’ll understand the power of personal branding for consultants; and how you can develop an expert, authoritative, and authentic brand.

Let’s dive in…

Your brand is much more than your visual identity. It’s what people think of you when you’re not around.

What Is Personal Branding For Consultants?

First, what is personal branding for consultants?

Branding is the process of giving meaning to your business. It’s how others perceive it.

For example, consider a brand like Harley Davidson motorcycles.

What words come to mind when you think of Harley Davidson motorcycles?

• Non-conformist
• Rebel
• Toughness

Like their brand or not, Harley Davidson stands out — and creates a feeling.

And that helps them charge a premium for their product.

A personal brand is just like any other brand, but its branding applied to a person.

It’s the brand of YOU.

How do your ideal clients perceive you and your services currently?

You can control their perception by actively creating and communicating your brand.

I’ll share examples of consulting personal brands later on in this article.

But first, I’ll share why it’s important for consultants to invest in their personal brand.

Why Personal Branding Is Important For Independent Consultants & Small Firms

We’re in an age of hype, noise, and clutter.

Unless you’re remarkably well-positioned, there are many consultants who offer similar services to you.

First and foremost, having a powerful personal brand helps you stand out from your competitors.

As a consultant, you should communicate what you stand for and what you believe in — your mission statement, principles, and values.

Your personal brand helps to amplify your mission statement, principles, and values. It brings them to life and communicates them in a way that your ideal clients will feel.

Creating a distinct personal brand also helps you attract like-minded clients and team members.

For example, if your personal brand is all about being straightforward, direct, and honest, then you’ll attract people into your business who are the same way.

You’ll also repel people who don’t enjoy that way of communication. And that’s a good thing because you probably wouldn’t enjoy working with them anyways.

Finally, building a brand that truly represents you is a more enjoyable way to build a consulting business.

You get to be you.

Everything you do — from how your website looks, how you sell, how you package and name your services, etc — will feel like you.

You’ll show up to work feeling in control.

And when you’re enjoying what you do, you’ll be more consistent, create better results, and make a bigger impact.

Your personal brand helps to amplify your mission statement, principles, and values. It brings them to life and communicates them in a way that your ideal clients will feel.

Example Of Powerful Consulting Personal Brands

On a recent Clarity Coaching Program Workshop Call, I asked the consultants in our community:

“What do you want to be known for?”

As you build your personal brand, you get to choose what you’re known for.

Here are some examples of powerful consulting personal brands from clients in our Clarity consulting community.

Nic Campbell

Nic Campbell is the CEO & Founder of Build Up Advisory Group, where she and her team help brave philanthropies and nonprofits scale their impact by strengthening their grantmaking and organizational structuring.

She’s imbued her values into her firm, which you can read on her “About” page:

“We are the only firm focused exclusively on social sector infrastructure design.

We are also the only firm founded by a Black woman who has been an advisor to two of the world’s most prominent philanthropists, outside counsel to foundations, NGOs, and charities, and has held positions of general counsel, in-house counsel, senior program lead, and senior operations director in philanthropies, and the position of in-house counsel in a public charity.

We do not believe in business as usual and strive to be brave enough to truly be risk takers, be creative in ways others are afraid to be, and approach philanthropy with a unique and fresh perspective.

We are uniquely situated to support innovation in technically sound and innovative ways. As a result, we are clear and deliberate in all of our engagements.”

Notice how Nic takes a firm stance with her brand.

She doesn’t shy away from planting her flag in the ground and saying “this is who we are.”

That’s how you create a magnetic and effective brand.

Jason Fearnow

Jason Fearnow is the CEO & Founder Prime Contract Solutions, where he helps mining project leaders with capital development and project execution.

On his website, he says that “he’s not for everyone” — and explains his defining features:

“I’m Purpose-Driven: I’m passionate about empowering people who share the same ethics and integrity as I do, and I want to help you amplify your voice!

I’m Relentless: I’ll push you off the edge of your comfort zone and give you the tenacious courage to be at the leading edge of positive change.

I’m a Neuroscience Nerd: I love studying how the brain works and chasing endorphins! I offer advice grounded in industry know how and science.

I’m a Collaborator & Connector: I’m driven by creating positive connections. I don’t believe that money is the main measure of success – it’s positive human interactions.

I’m a Family Man: I am a committed husband and father of five. I’m focused on finding balance and creating a lifestyle of service.

I’m a Closet Softy: I am an ambitious and driven athlete, and entrepreneur who is not afraid to play dress up with my 3-year old daughter!”

Jason is deliberate in what he wants to be known for.

That’s what has helped him create a polarizing, powerful and successful consulting brand.

Bobby Gillespie

Bobby Gillespie is the Founder & Principal of Propr Design, where he advises B2B brands on positioning, messaging, design, and marketing.

Bobby is a classic Philly guy: he’s direct, blunt, and doesn’t pull any punches.

Although that may be off-putting for some, people who are attracted to Bobby’s personal brand appreciate his straightforward and honest approach.

And it doesn’t hurt that he’s very good at what he does.

“We know the value of integrating brand strategy with design and marketing. Our team is passionate about busting their ass to make a difference for our partners. We are smart, sometimes irreverent, and we never take ourselves too seriously. We don’t just make pretty websites and good-looking brands, we help our clients position, message, design, build, and scale their growing B2B brands.

Propr Design was founded in 2014 by Bob Gillespie, award-winning creative director and brand strategist. Reared on the streets of Philly, schooled in the universities of the mid-Atlantic, and seasoned in the board rooms of agencies and businesses alike, Bobby G created Propr, an agency built on a gritty work ethic and innovative ideas that deliver unmatched results.”

In a world of cliches, jargon, and boring corporate brands, Bobby’s brand is a breath of fresh air.

And it’s part of what’s helped him earn $100K more revenue in seven months.

That’s the power of building a personal brand for your consulting business.

So, do you want to build a personal brand like these consultants?

Ask yourself…

What do you want to be known for?

And how can you implement those values, principles, and ideas into your firm?

Remember, building a brand isn’t a destination. It’s about the journey — and all the steps you take while building it.

Next up, we’ll get into those specific steps to help you build the best personal brand for you.

Remember, building a brand isn’t a destination. It’s about the journey — and all the steps you take while building it.

5 Steps To Build Your Personal Consulting Brand

You understand the concept of personal branding for consultants.

Now, we’re going to make this actionable.

Here are 5 actionable steps to start and build up your consulting personal brand.

Show up every day. Do the work. Serve your clients. Create fantastic outcomes. If you do that with consistency, it’s inevitable that you’ll build an incredible personal brand for your consulting business.

1. Define Your Mission Statement

Your consulting firm mission statement is a summary of your values.

And your values are built into your personal brand.

So, your personal brand starts by defining your values — and then by communicating those values through your mission statement.

What are your most important personal values?

What are the words that define you?

And what are the values of the clients you’d like to work with?

Check out our article How To Write Your Consulting Firm Mission Statement & Why It’s Important for instructions and examples on how to do this.

Your mission statement is a core piece of your personal brand. Start there.

2. Create Your Magnetic Message

A value proposition is a short statement that explains who you work with and the value you provide to them.

At Consulting Success®, we call this your “Magnetic Message.”

This is a marketing message that gets your ideal clients to take notice and wonder “how do they do that?”

It’s also a big part of your personal brand because it’s your personal “headline” — and your brand’s first impression.

It’s a statement that attracts attention and creates conversations.

Here’s the formula:

I help [WHO] to [solve WHAT problem] so they can [see WHAT results]. My [WHY choose me]…

Nailing this message is a key to winning new clients.

Check out our article for more examples and how to write yours: 8 Powerful Value Proposition Examples (& How To Write Yours)

3. Take Professional Photos

Like it or not, we all “judge a book by its cover.”

And the main photo you use online is YOUR cover.

Appearance shapes perception. With professional photos of you looking your best, you’ll appear more professional, organized, and trustworthy.

Every 2-4 years, invest in a photo shoot. Spend a few hundred dollars and hire a professional or a photography student at a local media school to get a variety of photos of you and your team.

You want to go for a natural but professional look that you feel comfortable with — a look that will represent your personal brand.

Once you have these photos taken, you should start using them everywhere.

Use them on your website, on your LinkedIn and social media profiles, Zoom, Gmail, and even in brochures or digital promotions that you run.

Professional photos will dramatically increase your brand’s professionalism.

4. Build Your Consulting Website

Having a professional, easy-to-use, good-looking website that represents you and your consulting brand is a must.

A website is one of the first things clients look for when researching a consultant and deciding whether or not to work with them.

A clean, professional design (with high-quality photos) immediately establishes trust. It makes you more approachable. It makes clients take you seriously.

For example, take a look at the consulting website of Douglas Nelson‘s firm, The Discovery Group:

Clean, professional, unique, and fitting for his brand.

Don’t underestimate the power of your consulting website. It’s a huge part of your brand — and you can design it so that your clients perceive you as an elite consultant.

5. Be Consistent

An authoritative, high-value consulting brand isn’t built in a day.

To build a brand, you have to be consistent.

That means…

• Be consistent in your marketing.
• Be consistent in getting results for your clients.
• Be consistent in creating content and value for your industry.
• Being consistent in being the best version of yourself — both inside and outside of your business.

There’s a reason why older brands carry more prestige and authority — they’ve lasted longer.

Show up every day. Do the work. Serve your clients. Create fantastic outcomes.

If you do that with consistency, it’s inevitable that you’ll build an incredible personal brand for your consulting business.

Get Help Building A World-Class Consulting Brand

There are many steps to complete and habits to build as you build a powerful personal brand.

But the rewards of doing so are endless.

We’ve helped hundreds of clients build brands so that they attract top-tier clients like Nike, Google, PWC, GE, Boeing, Verizon, and many, many more.

We have the playbook and how to build a powerful, authoritative, and authentic brand for entrepreneurial consultants.